Finding Home
by TheEpicness239
Summary: Just a collection of my Haylijah drabbles. Includes Cabin Fever, A Kiss After the Rain, Let It Burn, One Last Dance, and the new update, Finding Home. This will be where I will be adding new drabbles. Likely only be one shots that have no connection, but may change in time.
1. Cabin Fever

_**A/N: Because of this last episode, this couple has forced me to write something because it's going to be a long two weeks till the next episode. If this doesn't make any sense, it's okay because it's almost impossible to be coherent when thinking about these two. Enjoy!**_

"_Forgive me."_

Hayley doesn't say a word, instead wipes the damp rag she found in one of the drawers across his slick forehead. His breath was ragged and every few seconds or so his body would shake. The worst thing about this situation was that he couldn't die from the bite, but she couldn't do anything to ease his pain.

"Hayley you-"

Her fingers thread through his damp hair and he stops short of what he was going to say, momentarily stunned. Their emotions were running high in this hotbox, his particularly.

"You should stay quiet and preserve your strength. Remember, you're my ride home."

He chuckles, but coughs instead and Hayley immediately feels bad for cracking a joke.

"I'm going to keep looking for something to help us. Keep this on your forehead."

She sits him up and promptly lays him back down once she's out of the way. Running a hand through her hair, Hayley tears through the small cabin, or more like a shed. She has no idea what she's looking for, and that's what scares her the most.

She can feel his eyes on her the entire time, only adding to the immense pressure. She can hear his labored breathing as if he was breathing in her ear. Sighing, Hayley turns around to check on him.

He seems to have gotten paler in the past five minutes or so. Taking the washcloth away, she wrings it out and puts it back in the washbasin.

She watches him for a moment, and notices how he's clenching the bedsheet in his hands. Turning back around, not able to look at him because of the fear of failing him is too much to bear.

After everything he's done for her, she's going to fail him because of his stupid brother. And it wasn't about the saving part either. He listened to her vent about her fears of being a good mother. He assured her that she has a place in a family, something she's never had. He's taken care of her in more ways than one.

Grabbing the cool washcloth, she sits down on the bed and places it back on his forehead. Her nerves are frantic and her mind's going through a thousand different scenarios of how this night could go, but ending with the same conclusion.

"Hayley…you have to leave me here."

She shakes her head as she wipes his forehead.

"I'm staying."

He falls silent once more, maybe because he disagrees or maybe because he's incapable of saying anything more. She watches him, feeling overwhelmed because he's in physical pain and she's rendered helpless on the sidelines.

"I don't want…I-I don't want you to see me like this."

"I've seen worse."

This time he laughs and doesn't cough. She smiles at the thought of making him laugh. It's such a melodic sound, one that isn't heard often from the proper, kind, handsome, elegant vampire sitting in the bed beside her.

"There has got to be something we can do."

She stands up, pulling at her hair in frustration and starts to rub her belly.

"Is the baby okay?"

Hayley looks at him, the concern pouring through his words. She gives him a small smile and nods her head.

"She's just had a little excitement today, that's all."

She sees the barely perceptible smile and nod of his head as he closes his eyes. They're both quiet for a few minutes, the only sound coming from the werewolf-bitten bed-ridden original vampire.

"And the mother?"

His voice is lower this time, hesitant in asking but desperate in knowing the answer. She wants to allays his fears, knowing that it's the only thing she can do right now.

"You're always asking me if I'm okay."

Elijah opens his eyes again after another bout of coughing and struggling to breathe.

"Because I want to know. You're in my protection, remember?"

Hayley turns away, not wanting him to see the elation on her face at his words.

"Hayley, if this gets any worse…I want you to leave. For the baby's sake. Please."

She sits back down beside him, taking one of his shaking hands in hers.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not going anywhere."

Elijah sighs.

"At least one more. I…I don't want to hurt you or the baby."

Hayley shakes her head and squeezes his hand.

"I know you won't."

Elijah strains to sit up so he can look her in the eyes.

"How do you?"

Hayley shrugs her shoulders, looking down at their joined hands.

"Because I trust you."

She misses the way his mouth opens slightly. She misses the way his eyes light up through the hazed fever. He knows that she doesn't trust easily, hell even at all.

They sit in more silence, neither one knowing what to say next. Hayley watches Elijah fight through his fever, knowing that it was going to get worse.

Standing up again to search the cabin for the umpteenth time, she is pulled back down on the bed by Elijah's unrelenting grip on her wrist.

"Elijah?"

His eyes open, bloodshot and he sits up in bed.

"Get away."

He moves away from her, his hand thrust down to his side as if the mere touch of her skin burned him.

"Elijah, what's wrong? What's happening?"

He shakes his head, murmuring something incoherent as he looks around the cabin in a craze. His frantic eyes finally fall on her nervous ones.

"Get out."

"Elijah, please say-"

"GET OUT!"

She moves away from the bed and towards a lone table.

"Hallucinations."

Hayley says this more to herself than to him. He gets out of bed and moves to the opposite wall, muttering something incorrigible.

"Elijah, it's going to-"

Suddenly he has her pinned up against the wall, one hand effectively pressing her wrist to the wall while the other is around her stomach. Even through his hallucinations, he's still being gentle with her.

She looks into his bloodshot eyes, struggling to find the man beneath them. Their entire bodies are touching, and she's desperately trying to ignore the rush of adrenaline she's feeling at his touch.

"Elijah, I know you're in there. And I know you can fight this."

"You know nothing, Katarina."

He spits out the other woman's name in disgust. Hayley watches as he slowly moves closer to her, lips about to brush hers when he suddenly flings himself back to the bed.

She fights to get her breath back as she watches Elijah writhe in the bed. He groans in pain, and rolls in the bed. He leans over it and starts to cough up blood.

Rushing to his side, Hayley props him on his side and runs a hand through his hair.

His blood stains the hardwood floors when it finally hits her.

"I am such an idiot."

Setting back against the pillows, Hayley races around the room trying to find what she was looking for.

"Gotcha."

She picks up the small needle Tyler had discarded earlier. Rushing back to Elijah's side, she lifts up her shirt around her stomach. She raises the needle, taking a deep breath for the pain she was about to experience.

She feels his fingers wrap around her extended hand. Hayley looks over at him, seeing that the real Elijah was struggling to fight the fever.

"Hayley, don't."

"It's the only way."

His eyes close again and don't open. Hayley moves closer to him, struggling to find a pulse. After searching for a minute, it's there but barely beating.

Straightening, Hayley takes another breath, not daring to look to see if Elijah was still conscious.

Plunging the needle into her stomach, fighting back the tears and screams, Hayley slowly draws the blood out of her unborn baby.

Waiting for the needle to fill up halfway, Hayley pulls it out. Moving Elijah's head to the side, she sticks the needle into his neck. Watching the blood flow from the needle and into his bloodstream, Hayley doesn't breathe.

Pulling the needle out, Hayley sets it aside.

"Elijah? Elijah, can you hear me? Elijah, please you need to wake up!"

Running a hand through his hair and down his face, Hayley begins to think it didn't work. Maybe it only works on a werewolf.

"Please, Elijah, please…I need you."

She holds his hand; not wanting to believe it didn't work.

"You could have hurt the baby."

Looking up from their hands, Hayley is elated to see Elijah's eyes open and clear of any bloodshot.

"You're okay?"

Elijah nods his head and she lets out a relieved shriek before pulling him into her arms. Holding her close, Elijah breathes in her scent as he wraps his arms around her trembling form.

"Why are you shaking?"

She pulls away from him and swats him on the shoulder.

"You're a jerk just for asking that when you already know the answer."

He holds her hand to his chest, while his other pulls a strand of loose hair behind her ear.

"I guess it was your turn to save me."

Hayley smiles and blushes.

"I'd say something about always protecting you, but then I'd be a walking cliché."

Elijah lets out a jovial laugh before pulling her back into his arms and breathing a sigh of relief.

They were going to be okay.

They were _all_ going to be okay.


	2. A Kiss After the Rain

_**A/N: So I really needed to get this out of my head because THEY FREAKING KILLED ME TONIGHT WITH THEIR ALMOST KISS. Although, I approve of the non-kiss because I want Hayley to have her baby first before they pursue anything, I just needed to write this down. Enjoy! **_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, just the storyline.**_

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"_It is the passion that is in a kiss that gives to it its sweetness; it is the affection in a kiss that sanctifies it."_

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_**A Kiss After The Storm**_

"_If I feel something I act. If I want something, I take it_."

They stood there, inches apart. His hand had a tight hold of her wrist, firm but not painful. She couldn't breathe; it felt like some unyielding force constricted her lungs.

Two seconds passed before anything happened. Two seconds. She refused to blink. She refused to breathe. She refused to move. Because any of those things would break the moment and she had said far too much to let things amicably.

She looked into those brown eyes, trying to discern every flashing emotion known to man that moved in them. She knew what she had to do. She knew she had to make the first move, for he was far too much of a gentleman to do it. No, she had to act first, or they would be stuck in this continuous push and pull cycle they have been in for months.

Hayley wasn't sure when her hand had moved from the arm that gripped hers. It acted on its own accord, grabbing a fistful of his coat as she pulled him closer to her. A thousand year old Original vampire forcibly moved by a twenty-two year old werewolf carrying a hybrid baby.

She had seen the movies where two people would kiss hard and fast, one not expecting the other to move. It had always look romantic and swoon worthy. They never mentioned how much it hurt when their heads collided.

She felt his forehead hit hers, but all other thoughts and sounds of pain were immediately extinguished by the sweet and utter bliss of his soft and cool lips on hers. For one split second neither moved. They were frozen, both taken aback by the sheer passion that built between them. But that one split second passed quickly, and suddenly she felt his hands in her hair and around her waist, pulling her as close to him as possible. She held on for dear life, never experiencing such a kiss before. She didn't dare pull back to take a breath, knowing that she may never have another chance like this.

But as soon as the glorious kiss began, it came to an end. Taking a step back, Elijah is visibly shaken, his eyes peering into her own as to ask why she did what she did. She stared back at him, a finger upon her swollen lips, touching them as if his lips were still upon hers.

He didn't say anything. She smiled. She had rendered him speechless. And she smiled at his appearance. Never, in all the months she's known him, did he look this disheveled. His hair was tousled, his shirt and jacket wrinkled. But his eyes said everything. He was still in shock.

She didn't know what to say. That she had been waiting a long time to do that? That sometimes she'd wake up with the feeling of his lips on hers, only to remember it was just a blissful dream? That even though she carries his brother's child, she does not feel guilty?

She straightens up, determined not to let him retreat and for them not to fall back into the same pattern.

"I meant what I said, Elijah. Now it's your turn."

Hayley walks away, knowing that he needed to time to process what just happened. And she knew they couldn't pursue anything quite yet. But knowing where he stood on his feelings for her would be a good start.

She knew what she wanted. But…did he?


	3. Let It Burn

_**A/N: So, I thought up this little plot today during various lectures, and decided to write a one-shot about it. I'm taking numerous liberties with the show's myth and lore, so please bear with me on this. Again, this is just a one-shot. Enjoy!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, just the storyline.**_

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"_The world is all gates, all opportunities, strings of tension waiting to be struck."_

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_**Let It Burn**_

Hayley knew something was off the instant she stepped foot into the graveyard. The air had a different feel about it. Twisted. Angry. _Evil_. She looked to her right to see that Rebekah felt the same vibe.

The blonde moves forward first, the hair on the back of her neck standing on edge as her supernatural hearing strained to pick up on anything.

Hayley had gotten a mysterious text message earlier that day from Sophie, telling her to meet the witch at midnight in the cemetery. Hayley had shown the text to Rebekah, both wondering why Sophie wanted to talk to them, and not Elijah.

She mentally flinched when she even thought of his name. It had been a month since Davina died, and she has barely spoke to the eldest Original. She had said all she could, without blatantly saying that she had feelings for him. No, the ball was in his court.

Klaus was still in Mystic Falls; dealing with whatever problem they were having over there. Marcel was rarely seen in the French Quarter, still taking Davina's death hard. Elijah had left earlier that day with Sabine, saying it was something important and trusted Hayley in Rebekah's care.

Hayley cradled her stomach, her maternal instincts kicking into overdrive and telling her to get as far away as possible. The two women hadn't stepped foot in the cemetery since the young witch's death.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Rebekah muttered to herself as they walked to the center, the sacrificial altar still in place. Hayley joined her by her side, checking her phone to see if Sophie texted her. "Are you sure this is the place?"

Hayley gave her a look. "I just wanna know why she asked us to meet us here of all places." Rebekah shared a similar grim look on her face, both reimaging Sophie slitting Davina's throat while Marcel held onto her.

They both turned their heads when they heard footsteps off to their right. A mist started to appear, shrouding almost everything in their eyesight.

Hayley heard Rebekah let out an ignored sigh and smirked. They both had put up with enough of witch's theatrics. "Sophie, we get it. You're a witch, you can make smoke. Now, would you come out and tell us why you dragged us out here?"

The footsteps stopped, and the mist started to evaporate to reveal Sabine standing on the other side of the altar. Hayley squinted at first, figuring that the mist was playing a trick on her eyes, but she looked over at Rebekah to see the same confused look on her face.

"Sabine, what the hell are you doing here?" Rebekah moved around the altar, nerves on end and sensing that something was off.

Sabine smiled at the other two women, uncrossing her arms. Hayley didn't like the look on her face, and felt something very wrong was going on. She moved for Rebekah, tackling her to the ground just in time before an eruption of fire took her place.

Rebekah moved Hayley off of her, and lunged for Sabine, only for her to get knocked back into a catacomb. Hayley stood up, sidling around the altar while keeping one eye on an advancing Sabine and the other on Rebekah, who was struggling to get up.

"Sabine, what the hell is going on?" Hayley's instincts told her to keep Sabine talking, giving time for Rebekah to recover.

"That is not what they call me." Sabine answered for a heavy New Orleans accent, and a broken dialect suggesting that she was not from this century. Hayley glanced over at Rebekah, who was now flanking Sabine.

"Then, where is Sabine?" Hayley knew she had to stall, her pure survival skills kicking in.

"Sabine is no longer here." Sabine creepily replied as fire ignited from her palms. "Hayley, you have crossed a line that was never meant to be crossed. A line that should have remain buried for all of eternity."

Hayley stopped short, looking more intently at Sabine and then it clicked. "Celeste?" She incredulously asked.

Celeste devilishly grinned as she lit up the four lamps surrounding the sacrificial altar. "Yes, that is my name."

Rebekah seized her chance, only to fall to ground in agonizing pain. Her head felt like it had been split open. Hayley rushed to her side, supporting the blonde while quickly thinking of strategies to get the both of them out of here. Alive.

"What do you want with us?" Hayley asked, trying to gather more information.

Celeste shrugged as the ground beneath her shook. Hayley struggled to stand upright. "You tried to consecrate me bones. Have you no respect for the dead?"

Hayley dared to move a little closer. "What about Sophie?"

Celeste reluctantly frowned. "As much as I hated doing it to one of my own, she had to be punished."

Hayley could only imagine where Sophie was now. Her heart drops to her stomach when she remembers something. _Elijah_. He had been with Sab-Celeste. "Where's Elijah? What did you do to him?"

The werewolf attacked the resurrected witch when she saw the evil grin on her face. In that moment, Hayley only felt pure and unrelenting rage. She almost had the witch in her hands before she disappeared into thin air, leaving only Hayley to grasp smoke.

Turning around, she sees Celeste standing on the altar. "Enough with this small talk. You have taken what is mine, and I demand it back." Celeste stared at Hayley's stomach and she started to put it together. In order for the Harvest to be completed, Sophie needed to consecrate Celeste's bones. Only, they needed the blood of a powerful witch to complete the ritual. The only one that could do it was Esther Mikaelson, who was dead. But the same blood that ran in the Mikaelson's blood ran in her own, Hayley thought. In her _child_.

"I need Esther's power to complete my transformation. Only then can I return to my true power." Hayley franticly looked around for Rebekah, who had now joined her side. They looked up at the powerful witch, who was now reciting old spells from the likes they had never heard of.

Celeste drew on Davina's power, which still lingered in the haunted cemetery. Rain started to pour while the ground shook beneath their feet. Fire encircled them around the sacrificial altar, giving them no ways of escape. Celeste jumped down off the altar, moving towards Hayley.

Rebekah quickly stepped in front of Hayley, putting her hands out to her side while she bared her fangs. "If you want that baby, you're going to have to go through me."

Celeste confidently grinned. "If you say so." Rebekah sprinted at the woman, only to bounce off a some kind of force field that was generating around the centuries old witch. "You're going to have try a little harder than that, honey."

Rebekah growled, growing more infuriated with the witch by the second. Celeste moved her hand towards Rebekah, who was engulfed in flames. Hayley's heart tore at the vampire screaming in excruciating pain.

Feeling the anger build up in her, Hayley struggled to see Celeste move towards her in the pouring rain. She lunged at the witch, and surprisingly punched the witch in the face. Hayley looked at the witch, both in shock. But Celeste was quick to recover. She knocked Hayley backwards, only inches from the circle of flames.

Hayley looked for anything around her to protect herself with as Celeste advanced towards her. The witch laughed manically as she reached for Hayley. The witch wrapped her hands around her throat, immobilizing Hayley with a spell. She struggled to breathe, trying to break the spell.

"It is over little wolf. Just close your eyes and succumb to the eternal darkness." Celeste unnervingly whispered. Hayley felt the oxygen leave her lungs as they screamed in pain. Her eyes felt heavy and just as she felt them start to close, the pressure on her throat relented.

Opening her eyes, she sees Celeste hovering above her, shock on her face as she looked down at chest, which was ripped open. She fell to the ground, and Rebekah took her place, Celeste's heart in her hands.

"Get away from her, you bitch." Rebekah muttered as she threw the heart to the ground. The vampire helped the werewolf up, silently looking her over.

"I'm okay." Hayley answered her unasked question. "_Aliens_? Seriously? Of all of the movie quotes in the world, you chose that one?"

Rebekah grins. "Ripley is one of, if not the best female protagonist ever portrayed on film."

Hayley rolled her eyes as they both walked away, sopping wet, from altar; the elements began to let up. The rain slowed to a drizzle while the flames died down and the earth stopped shaking.

They both looked at the fallen witch while Hayley placed a hand on her stomach. "Do you really think Celeste believed my baby had your mother's powers?"

Rebekah moved her gaze from Celeste to Hayley. "I don't know. I thought it didn't work, otherwise…" She let sentence trail off, not wanting to say _her_ name.

"Then, why did she lure us here?" Hayley wondered out loud.

"Because I fooled her." Both women turned around to see a bloodied and bruised Elijah standing at the gate of the cemetery. Rebekah smiled at the sight of her oldest brother, while Hayley stood in shock. The rain matted his usually perfectly coifed hair, while his jacket and shirt were torn in several places, revealing many still open cuts on his body.

Rebekah rushed over to him, offering him a hug and checking over his wounds. "I'm okay, I promise. Although, I have to admit, I'm not too proud Celeste got the drop on me. The only reason she got so far is because she incapacitated me."

Elijah looked from Rebekah to Hayley, looking her over and making sure she was okay. Hayley was still in shock after everything that went down. Suddenly, Elijah was standing a mere foot away from her. The rain clouded the true feelings in his eyes, but his face told a different story.

"I'm relieved to see that you're okay. I should have never let her get so close." Hayley could hear the anger in his voice. "The baby?"

Hayley nodded her head and Elijah smiled. She moved a step closer, just wanting to be in his arms, but knowing that they were still in a stalemate.

"I'm glad you're okay, too. Celeste suggested…" Hayley didn't dare finish the sentence. She knew an Original couldn't be killed, but she also knew she couldn't live in a world without Elijah Mikaelson in it.

Elijah grinned. "It would take a force even stronger than Celeste to stop me."

"I'm sorry, this is all my fault. If I had never went snooping through your things and told Sophie where Celeste had been buried, none of this-"

The feel of Elijah's cool lips on hers all of the sudden took Hayley's breath away. Smiling into the kiss, Hayley pulls him closer as she links her hands behind his neck. His hands weave their way through her drenched hair, her clothes sticking to every inch of hot skin. She had a feeling nothing could be better than kissing this man, but every dream of hers was blown away by the reality.

Pulling away after a polite cough from Rebekah, Elijah and Hayley touch their foreheads together, reluctant to end this moment. "I'm sorry I haven't been able to do that sooner. I guess…you were just a little ahead of me."

Hayley laughed, knowing that they had a long road ahead of them, but she was fairly certain she knew what waited at the end.

_The End_


	4. One Last Dance

_**A/N: Because I needed a make up scene. Enjoy!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or storyline.**_

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Walking under the archway, Elijah begins to pull off his tie as workers were cleaning up from the party. He starts to ascend the steps with the newly signed treaty in hand, determined to get his stubborn brother to sign it when he hears the click of heels in the entranceway.

He turns around to see Hayley walk in, similar to the way she entered the party hours earlier. She was glowing earlier, still is, but she looked positively radiant in the blue dress, the swell of stomach growing bigger.

She looks up at him and smiles at the confused look on his face. "We never got to finish our dance." Hayley waits for him at the bottom of the staircase, and takes his proffered hand. They walk over to what's left of the dance floor, while a slow, quiet song plays over them.

"I must admit I am surprised to see you back here." Elijah says as he takes her hand in his while placing a hand on her hip.

Hayley places a familiar hand on his shoulder. "So am I. But I wanted to apologize for earlier. I didn't mean to make a scene."

Elijah shakes his head. "If anyone should be apologizing here Hayley, it's me. It was inconsiderate to ignore the werewolves in the treaty, and if you felt excluded or ignored by me-"

Hayley tightens her hand on his shoulder, stopping him. "I know why you did it. The immediate problem was in the quarter, I understand that now." She nervously laughs. "My temper is not my strongest quality."

Elijah grins and spins her around in a circle. He pulls her back closer than before, feeling the familiar air between them. He was surprised by how much he hated it when they were at odds. They're so close now, the air suddenly becomes thick and hard to breathe. Elijah fails to resist that magnetic pull she always lulls him under, and his forehead rests against hers for a moment while his resolve returns. Finally, he opens his eyes and slightly pulls away. Elijah could tell he was having the same affect over her. He sighs to himself, knowing that both of their resolves couldn't last much longer.

"It's so quiet…well I mean besides the music," Hayley comments as she looks around her.

"Klaus is holed away upstairs with his melancholy and abstract paintings, and well…Rebekah..." They both look down when Elijah murmurs her name. "Besides that, it's just us and the workers." Hayley bites her lip when she sees Elijah staring intently at her. "Hayley, I'm sorry for repeatedly asking you to move back into the compound. I know how difficult it is to live with my brother, especially now that Rebekah has left, and I apologize on his behalf if you feel like you weren't living in a family environment."

Hayley sighs, guilt seeping over her for feeling annoyed with Elijah's constant requests. "Elijah, I-"

His hand tightens on her waist, immediately stopping any thought process. "Please, let me finish." Elijah gives her a small smile, and she returns it with a nod of her head. "While my requests may be for more selfish reasons-"

Hayley's stomach starts doing backflips, or that may just be her little baby girl kicking, at the hint of jealousy in Elijah's voice. She blushes at the thought, but hopes that Elijah doesn't notice.

"-I do not know Jackson and these other werewolves, despite you vouching for them."

"They are my family too, Elijah. They would never do anything to hurt me." Elijah looks away, hiding the distaste on his face when she says family. Hayley lets go of his hand and places her hand on his cheek, forcing him to look at her. "Do you trust me?"

Elijah gives her a look, and a smile grows on his lips as he lets his dimples show. He places a hand over top of hers. "I do trust you. I do not trust them."

Hayley smirks as she moves her hand, noticing how, not surprisingly, that jealous is a good look on Elijah Mikaelson. "Isn't that the point of the treaty, to get the four factions to play nice and form some sort of trust?"

Elijah frowns as he looks back at her. "Trust will never be formed between the factions, only hope for a peaceful coexistence."

The song ends and the two reluctantly pull apart. Elijah takes his suit jacket off and puts it around Hayley's shoulders; his hands resting a moment too long, and yet not long enough. "May I drive you home?"

Hayley picks up on when he says home, and feels a pang of betrayal at the way his eyes dim at the word. She nods her head, not knowing when she will see him again.

The ride to the bayou is silent, yet not uncomfortably so. Neither is good with goodbyes, especially with each other. Elijah pulls up to the cluster of small houses and puts the car in park. There is muffled music coming from the barn near the water.

He had resisted glancing in her direction the whole ride, knowing that his resolve would have broke and he would have turned the car around. But now, with the car stopped, he felt like there was no room and her scent completely surrounded him.

Elijah rests an arm along the window. "Hayley, I pray this treaty will work, for the sake of this city…I hope that when I initially excluded the werewolves, you didn't feel ignored by me-"

Hayley takes his hand in hers, stopping him midsentence. "Elijah, you really need to stop apologizing."

He grins, and slowly entwines their fingers. His grin slowly falls from his lips as he looks forlornly over at her. He can feel his time with her slipping away, and he wished for anything to prolong it. She can feel his heated gaze on her, and finally looks over at him. Hayley knows that she had to get out of the car, but suddenly she didn't want to.

It felt too right here, sitting in the silence while holding his hand.

"I guess that was our first fight." Hayley feels his thumb grazing over her fingers, and she resists the feeling to close her eyes and give in to her desires.

Elijah laughs, and Hayley joins in in the melodic sound. "I suppose it was."

Their laughter falls away, and they sit in dejected silence again. Hayley pushes the door open, but Elijah tightens his hold on her hand.

"Hayley…you will always have a room in the compound. If you ever feel the need…please don't hesitate." Hayley can hear the uncharacteristic desperation slip into the Original's voice. He must feel some sort of guilt for her leaving.

Despite herself, she manages to smile and squeeze his hand, their fingers still somehow intertwined. "Elijah, you're not the reason I moved out. For the first time in my life, I finally have a family. A family I can call my own."

Elijah physically and emotionally pulls away when she admits this. It hurts to hear her say this, after everything did she not think he considered her a part of his family? He looks away from her and at the barn, to see Jackson opening the door and holding a bag of ice.

He looks back at Hayley, who was also looking at Jackson. Elijah sighs, "I know I have no right to tell you this, but please Hayley, please be careful around Jackson."

Ever since the alpha werewolf interrupted their first dance, Elijah could tell that he was untrustworthy. The other man rubbed him the wrong way, like he walked around with a sense of entitlement and a chip on his shoulder.

Hayley bites her lip to keep a smile hidden when she hears the jealousy, and also reason, in Elijah's voice. Although she hates when people tell her what to do, she knows Elijah is only saying this because he cares about her and her baby's safety.

He's _always_ cared.

"Jackson is a good guy." Hayley falls silent, thinking of who she was trying to convince, Elijah or herself. Elijah gives her a look, conveying with his eyes that that's not what he meant. Hayley gives it right back. "He's just a friend, Elijah."

She knew she should tell him about her somehow arranged marriage with Jackson, but Hayley figured they had been through enough for the night.

"It's not my business," Elijah simply says.

Hayley playfully rolls her eyes as she gets out. "I guess I'll see you around, now that the quarter's equally shared between the four species."

Elijah nods his head as he leans to look out the passenger's window. "Good night, Hayley." He rolls up the window, puts the car in drive, and pulls away.

Hayley stands rooted in place, watching as the taillights eventually disappear before heading for the barn. She walks, immediately bombarded by the din of celebratory werewolves and loud music.

Standing in the doorway, Hayley looks back out into the night as she realizes she misses the quiet and solitude the compound and its occupants offered.


	5. Finding Home

_**A/N: This has been in my head since last week, and needed to be written down after last week's episode. Just a little fluffy drabble, enjoy!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, just the storyline.**_

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"_Happiness is like a kiss – it feels best when you give it to someone else."_

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_**Finding Home**_

She stops short at his doorway, unsure if she should continue or not. They always seemed to be at an impasse with each other. One would pull, while the other would push away. Normally, Hayley was the one to pull, but lately she had been tied up with getting to know her pack and preparing for the birth of her child. Until, last night, when she finally threw caution to the wind, despite the ball having been in Elijah's court for months now. His admittance all but told her what he truly felt for her. She looks down at the package in her hand, then back over to the man who currently sits at his desk, writing on a parchment for reasons unknown.

Hayley leans against the doorjamb, knowing full well that he could sense her presence, and yet neither moves to break the comfortable silence. She fiddles with the small box in her hands, debating on how she should start this conversation.

"Are you alright?" Elijah finally looks up from his tasks to see Hayley lazily leaning against his doorway and looking down at a small package in her hands. "You're unusually quiet."

She meets his gaze and nervously smiles. They hadn't really had the chance to talk since last night. Elijah had been busying himself with doing damage control around the French quarter, while she herself had been confined to the compound. The death of Father Kieran halted any rebellions until he was laid to rest, but Elijah and Hayley both knew that Marcel would soon declare war against Klaus and the wolves.

Hayley nods her head, and walks into his bedroom. She notes how this is the first time she's seen his room. It was a large room, muted with dark colors, and various paintings hanging on the walls, and books adorning the numerous shelves. She sits down at the foot of his bed, facing his desk.

She hasn't answered his question, so Elijah puts away his papers and stands up, but doesn't move to her yet. Hayley gestures to the package in her hand. "It's from Rebekah."

Elijah smiles, knowing that while Hayley would never admit it out loud, but she was missing the blonde vampire. "Why don't you open it?" Elijah gently suggests as he moves to the front of the desk, leaning against it as he unbuttons his jacket.

Hayley unravels the bow and carefully unwraps the package. Lifting the lid, she looks inside and Elijah can see the unshed tears in her eyes. He straightens so he can see what's inside. She reaches into the box and pulls out a single pink booty, with a white _M_ monogrammed on the side.

She places the booty back in box and sets it beside her. A smile grows on her face as she realizes that this is also the first time she has been in his bed, but she had always imagined it under different circumstances.

Elijah moves to sit besides her, a reluctant hand that wishes to take her own and remove any remaining sadness from her exquisite features. "Hayley, what's troubling you?" Elijah firmly asks, hating the way she could from tears to a smile and back again in split second.

Hayley looks over at him, only several inches away from her. They haven't been this close to each other since she kissed him, but it might as well been like he was on top of her. The air is heavy between them, much like it had been like last night, and she notices her labored breathing. She tries to keep it in check, and finally slows her heartbeat down to notice that Elijah is fighting a similar battle.

"It's just…I'm _happy_." She finally admits, looking down at his hand that currently takes ahold of hers, Hayley fails to see the rather large grin on the eldest Mikaelson's face. "Even though I'm cooped up in this compound, strangely enough…I feel _free_." She tenderly rubs her stomach, catching the happy glint in Elijah's eyes as he carefully watches her.

She entwines her fingers with his; reveling in the fact that it's a perfect match. Hayley finally meets his gaze, and a heavy blanket of desire settles over them. She has been ignoring it since she entered his room, but now, sitting right next to him and holding his hand, Hayley couldn't ignore it any longer. She leans in, her gaze fixed on his lips, and then flickers back up to the amber hue of his eyes.

Elijah's lips part, the anticipation of the kiss killing him with each passing second. If his heart could beat, he knew it would be beating a thousand miles per minute. Even so, he could hear the other two heartbeats in the room, and one matched his metaphorical one. He should be fighting this. He should leave the room like he did last night. Hayley had caught him off guard, which annoyed and slightly excited the thousand-year-old vampire. Elijah was _never_ caught off guard. But this woman…this woman was unlike any creature he had ever met. Elijah knew that he was being selfish by prolonging this moment any longer, but deep down; he wanted to act on his selfishness. He was tired of redeeming his brother and sacrificing his happiness for the sake of his family. Like he had told his younger brother.

_If I want something, I'll take it_.

Elijah had even surprised himself when he uttered those words, knowing that he was a hypocrite for saying them, considering he had denied the same chance to Hayley that he had offered Klaus.

He feels the squeeze of Hayley's fingers pull him back to present. The present. He recalls a time where he lived in the now, similar to the woman sitting next to him. Now, all he thought about was the past, and the countless times he had failed his brothers and sister. But after yesterday's ordeal, he knew he couldn't live another day without telling Hayley how he felt. How utterly terrified and helpless he felt as he watched her slowly dying on the table, his father being the cause of her pain. And that was what had prompted his impetuous admittance last night, something he would have kept to himself for a little while longer. But no more. He promised himself he wouldn't act on any feelings or impulses for the sake of his brother, but after watching Klaus continually treat Hayley as no more than a carrier for his child, Elijah realized that Klaus harbored no feelings for the little wolf, only for their child.

Lifting her hand up to his lips, Elijah looks into her eyes as he presses lingering kisses to her knuckles. His other hand moves on its own accord, fingertips gliding across her bare arm, and he can feel the goosebumps that follow. Slowly, his hand reaches her neck, and he moves her hair behind her ear. His gaze is enraptured with her own as his other hand moves to her thigh, applying gentle pressure as a sign for her to move closer. She complies almost immediately, gaze still locked with his. As his hand rests upon her cheek, she closes her eyes and bites her lip, missing the tortured desire that runs through Elijah's eyes. He pulls her closer to him as one of her legs settle over his own. She is half in his lap by now, and yet the seduction was still not over.

Hayley opens her eyes to see Elijah's lips inches away from her own. This was different than their first kiss. It was more gradual and sensual, this time Elijah was taking the reins, and as much as she loved being in control, Hayley had no trouble letting him lead. As her hand rests on his chest, Hayley slowly slides his jacket off of his shoulders, and he gracefully throws it onto the desk chair. One by one, Hayley unbuttons the buttons on his crisp white dress shirt, a sinfully coy smile on her face as she sees the pure agony on his face at the pace of her work. Finally his shirt is unbuttoned, and Elijah knows if this doesn't end here, he won't be able to stop himself. Taking her hand and placing against his chest, Elijah forces Hayley to look at him.

"Hayley, I…" Elijah feels her finger rest upon his lips, any speech stopped short. He tries to hide his grin, but utterly fails, and gets a small giggle from Hayley as he pushes her further down the bed.

Lying on their sides, limbs entangled, Elijah runs a hand through her hair as Hayley lazily traces her fingers across his chest, as if she was rewriting the names that had been tattooed on his chest from months ago. Elijah pulls her close, placing a chaste kiss on plump lips, but knows that won't be the last. She pulls him closer to her, gripping the lapels of his shirt as she deepens the kiss. Elijah moans into her mouth as he feels her start to unbuckle his belt, and it takes all of his willpower to pull away.

He hears Hayley groan in frustration, and he places a kiss on her nose to get her attention. "Hayley…"

"Elijah." She pulls out her trademark pout, even going full puppy-dog eyes, knowing full well that Elijah won't be able to resist.

"There's something I want to tell you." He pulls her closer as she rests her head in the crook of his shoulder, arms wrapped around his torso, and her legs hooked around his. He can even feel the bump between them, and resists resting a hand on her stomach. "Hayley…there are no words for what I feel for you."

This gets her attention, and she props herself up on her elbow to look him in the eye, knowing that whatever he was about to say was damn well important.

"But, with that mind, whatever this between us, this attraction…this connection, I don't want it to affect the rest of your pregnancy. Heaven knows you do not need any more added stress, the least of all from me." Elijah's fingers run up and down her collarbone, having no idea the effect he was having on her. She finally places a finger under his chin and forces him to look at her. Hayley leans down and places her lips upon his, eliciting a soft sigh from Elijah. This time she pulls away, her hand playing with the hairs on the back of his neck.

"You do realize what you just said to me, right?" Hayley quietly asks, and Elijah gives her a look and goes to respond, but Hayley gives it right back. "Elijah, you can't just say the most romantic thing someone has ever said to me, and then say nothing more can happen between us. I may be eight months pregnant, but even I'm not that hot and cold."

Elijah smirks at how she was getting worked up, but then it quickly falls away to know that he was hurting her. "Hayley, I have no intentions of hurting you. It's quite the opposite. Whatever this is, it's only going to hurt us if we keep ignoring it."

Hayley raised her eyebrows, confused. "I'm sorry, I'm a little lost here. Did you, or did you not just kiss me right now?"

Elijah exasperatingly sighs. "What I'm trying to say is to…how do you Americans say it…put this on hold. At least until the baby comes. You do not need any more stress, and I don't want to interfere with anything."

Hayley falls silent as she looks away from him and down at the sheets. He can almost hear her thinking of all the possibilities that can come from this.

"Elijah, if I agree with this, you have to promise me not to go back on your word. I can't take any more of this back and forth."

He wistfully smiles as he remembers the last time he had broke a promise. Elijah pulls her closer and leaves a lingering kiss on her forehead.

"As long as you promise not to slap me."

He can hear her laugh into his shirt and place a sealing kiss on his neck. "Deal."

They lay still for a while, both listening to the only two heartbeats in the room. Hayley stiffens, and Elijah feels it. He pulls away to look down at her, only to see a smile on her face.

"I swear this child is going to be a soccer player." Hayley rests her hand on her stomach, and smiles again once her baby responds to her mother's touch. She looks back up at Elijah to see him looking down at her stomach in adoration. If she could fall in love with just one look, it would be this one. He was mesmerized, and almost didn't realize what was happening until his hand was underneath hers on her stomach.

"Hayley, I can't-"

She rolls her eyes at him when he immediately quiets and feels another kick. Hayley can already see the love this man has for her child, and knows that he is going to be an exceptional uncle.

"This is your Uncle Elijah, little one. He's going to be a big part of your life, along with Daddy, and hopefully your Aunt Bekah." Hayley lovingly whispers as she rubs her stomach. She feels Elijah's arms tighten around her, holding her in a warm embrace, and she soon falls asleep to a blissful slumber.

_Fin._


End file.
